Homework Help: Acceleration across a floor with friction

1. Jul 19, 2011

djokoman95

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

A man pushes a box full of toys that has a mass of 12kg across a floor with a force of 60 N. The box of toys and the floor have a kinetic coefficient of friction of 0.5.
What is the acceleration of the box?

2. Relevant equations
F=ma

3. The attempt at a solution

Here's what I have so far. f$\mu$k=12*9.8*0.5=58.8. So, since the man is pushing with 60 N of force, and the friction force is pushing back with 58.8 N, he is pushing the box with a net force of .2 N. I think, but I"m not sure, that I could just use this 0.2 as the F in F=ma, then solve for a, using 12 as m, and 0.2 as F. I'm not quite sure if this is correct though.

2. Jul 19, 2011

azureth

Yes,it is correct.

3. Jul 19, 2011

gdbb

It's not 0.2 N, it's 1.2 N :)

4. Jul 20, 2011

cupid.callin

1.2 is the net force
and according to newton's laws its equal to ma ...

5. Jul 20, 2011

GreenPrint

Always draw a free body diagram if your not sure if your correct or not. If you do so you would see that your correct.